The Battle Of Idris
by EternallyProfound
Summary: Clary's rune abilities may be under question by the Clave, Simon is brought to Idris by chance and Clary finally finds out about her home. Meanwhile, the rune Valentine drew on her still doesn't appear to be fading, the man in question seemingly dormant. Also, who is Sebastian Verloc and why does he seem so interested in her? Clary/Isabelle Rated M (Sequel to The Nephilim Way)
1. 1 Vacations End

1\. Vacations End

Clary lay under the soft purple sheets of her bed, Isabelle tucked up to her right side sound asleep. She had taken to waking up periodically in an attempt to avoid the nightmares that persisted her and though it hadn't stopped the nightmares so far, she felt better sleeping knowing they couldn't last long. She allowed her hand to caress the warm skin of Isabelle's back, her arm pinned beneath the brunette's lightly snoring head. Clary took a moment to admire her partner, whose long brown hair splayed out over the pillow behind her, enjoying the peace that took over her girlfriends' face in her fitful sleep.

The next morning, only hours away would mark the end of their week of respite and signal the revival of their lives as shadowhunters from the temporary hiatus following their last encounter with Valentine. Though they had been told by Luke to rest, he had also demanded Clary attend mandatory training sessions daily with him, using them as an opportunity to also counsel her on her mental state. He had brought up her anxiety in the first session, explaining how he too had suffered from anxiety in his early days but managed to overcome it with guidance. He deliberately left out the part about her father being the one that helped him, which Clary had been grateful for and she was able to work through a lot of her feelings with him, even learning a few tricks to try and prevent the attacks from happening in the first place.

Despite all of this, she still felt insecure about the mark that marred the flesh of her throat. She had tried for the first few days to cover it in an attempt to ignore the runes existence, though after observing it come up in conversation several times she decided not to bother, allowing the black lines to shine free. It didn't stop her from hating that it still marked her flash, she knew that it would always faintly mark her skin anyway, the fading lines of the other runes she used so frequently still had faint outlines when she wasn't using them, but it was different with this rune. It was different because Valentine had placed it on her, that fact alone had her longing for the mark to disappear and the longer it stayed perfectly intact the more it troubled the red-haired girl.

A gentle knocking on her door released Clary from her thoughts and with a from she slid out from beneath Isabelle, stopping to cover the girl with the duvet and put on some clothes before making her way over to the door. She was pleasantly surprised to find the wide-awake golden eyes of Jace peering at her through the crack in the door when she opened it and with a final tender look at her partner, still sound asleep beneath the covers, she slipped from the room closing the door quietly behind her.

"Couldn't sleep?" She asked, one brow arched inquisitively.

"Yeah, something like that." He responded with a lopsided grin, a calloused hand ruffling the blonde hair at the back of his head sheepishly. He turned to the side, gesturing with his head towards the sitting room and set off quietly down the hall. The lights were off when they entered, their family still sleeping in their beds trying to catch the last few hours of soft light before the sun broke over the horizon waking the city completely. "Want a coffee?" Her companion asked, making his way over to the oak door that joined the kitchen to the sitting room. She nodded with a tired smile in response, plopping herself down on the comfy cushions of the two-seater couch that occupied the space across from the television. She grabbed the small black remote from the table, switching the tv on and turning the volume down before flicking through the channels in search of something mildly entertaining to watch.

She settled on some reruns of one of the many adult-themed cartoons, her ears prickling at the increasing sounds of the coffee percolator to her left. A few moments later Jace backed through the door, which swung closed behind him. He placed a grey coffee mug in front of her on the table, making sure to set it on one of the circular coasters before setting his own drink down.

"Did you remember to put sugar in mine?" Clary questioned, reaching forward to pick up her hot mug and cradle it in her hands.

"Yes, I did. you weirdo. You can only really appreciate the flavour of coffee if you refrain from adding loads of unnecessary things to it." Jace joked, a teasing smile forming on his lips. Clary rolled her eyes in response, a smile creeping onto her face to spite her.

"So, what did you want to talk about, dear brother, I know you didn't knock on my door for no reason at this hour." Clary probed, surveying her companion with a questioning look. Jace gave her an exasperated look, instinctively reaching for his coffee in an effort to buy himself time. "It's alright if you need a few minutes to find the words," Clary added, echoing something Luke had said to her at the start of her training sessions. It had helped her feel more comfortable on several occasions and she hoped it offered him some as well.

"Thanks, it's just I haven't even talked to Alec about this yet. Also how come you're still calling me brother? I mean, we're not really." He placed his cup down after taking a sip, his golden eyes searching for something else to fix his attention on.

"Well, why are you coming to me before Alec? It doesn't matter to me whether or not you're biologically my brother Jace, I still feel connected to you on a more personal level than you just being my friend. Besides, you've been more of a brother to me than my biological brother so why can't I just adopt you as my sibling instead?" Clary gushed, hoping to convey to her blonde-haired companion just how strongly she felt about the subject. She took a long drink of her coffee, green eyes watching as Jace's smile grew into a shy grin.

"That actually means a lot to me." He commented, his eyes finally meeting hers. He appeared troubled over something and Clary placed her mug back down on its coaster in an attempt to look more serious. "I might've found out who my parents are," Jace said quietly "Inquisitor Herondale approached me a couple of days ago. She told me Stephen's wife was pregnant when he passed away serving Valentine, she speculated that Valentine assisted in her suicide and then stole the child to raise himself."

Clary's eyes widened, her mouth falling open into a wide 'o'.

"Does she have anything to back it up?" Clary asked, grabbing her coffee once more and taking a long drink before turning back to the boy, her red eyebrow raised in questioning.

"Luke seemed to believe it's likely and Imogen is intent on welcoming me to her family as a Herondale." He returned, giving Clary the notion that he might not want what Imogen did.

"What do you want?" Clary reached out and placed her pale hand over Jace's darkened one, her voice gentle.

"I don't know, I wanted to ask you because I know you have several possible last names as well." He chuckled bitterly, sadness flashing in his golden eyes. Clary could see how lost he felt but she wasn't entirely sure she could relate. Clary had opted to just allow people to choose between Fray and Fairchild, though she was still partial to the name of her childhood. In truth, it only bothered her when someone addressed her as a Morgenstern, which she did not consider herself in the slightest.

"Honestly Jace you should stick with the last name you feel most comfortable with. I know that Robert and Maryse took you in and helped raise you, provided a home for you and will always be there for you. They both consider you part of their family. Alec, Izzy and Max do as well, so if you're looking for a family name to call your own, I'd say you wouldn't need to look very hard." Clary yawned, flicking the television over to the news as a more obnoxious show came on the channel they had been watching.

"I know that I don't really want anything else. I feel good as a Lightwood." He paused for a moment, a serious look crossing his features before his face broke out into a smile. "Thanks, Clary. I'll talk to Imogen and politely decline her offer, having my last name as Lightwood is just another thing that connects me to them and I don't want to change that."

"Well good, I'm happy I could help you resolve your conflict over the matter." Clary beamed, feeling warmed and happy to have helped her brother.

"So you and Isabelle, I'm happy for you. I hope you know I really am sorry for how I reacted before, seeing how much you smile and how happy you look around each other makes me inexplicably happy, so thank you as well. Thank you for making Isabelle happier than I've seen her." He regarded her with a reserved smile, flicking his hair back out of his eyes.

It made Clary realise just how far he had actually come in such a short time and filled with a wealth of warm fuzzy emotions Clary reached over and hugged him tightly. She loved how his eyes lit up as they parted, a wide smile on his face.

"I'm proud of you, Jace." A gorgeous sleep filled voice noted from the doorway. Clary turned to face Isabelle, her smiling growing.

"Good morning sleeping beauty." Clary giggled, sliding her arms around the dark-haired girl as she came and sat on Clary's lap. She'd put on a loose t-shirt and a black pair of joggers though her feet were still bare.

"Morning, what are you two doing up at half five in the morning?" Isabelle rubbed her eyes as if to emphasise her tiredness over how early it was. She promptly circled her arms around Clary's neck after, leaning her head against her shoulder.

"I just needed some advice, you can take her back to bed if you want," Jace answered, winking jokingly at the brunette.

"That sounds great only I just got a text from Luke, the pack have picked up what Luke described as 'a bad smell'. He thinks there might be a group of Dahak demons in the area doing surveillance and he wants us to check it out, I already woke up Alec. We're supposed to meet him at the Jade Wolf at half six sharp, so we better get ready." Clary's body jumped in excitement at the news, the week of rest had been nice but a run of the mill mission sounded like a great way to draw their vacation to a conclusion.

"Alright then, let's go." Isabelle hopped off of her lap, extending her slender fingers towards Clary in an open invitation. She gave Jace a quick glance, blushing at his cocked eyebrow and cheeky smirk.

"I need to shower and get dressed, I guess we'll meet up in here once we're all ready." Jace nodded in response to her and feeling as if the conversation had sufficiently ended, Clary allowed Isabelle to lead her out of the sitting room and down the hall, heading into the bedroom to prepare.

Luke was already standing outside the front door of the Jade Wolf and greeted them with a wave as they approached. They had assembled in the lounge rather quickly and having no other option had taken the long walk over to the Chinese restaurant.

"I caught the scent as I pulled up, had to confirm it with the pack first though, to be sure. I caught the scent of at least six, there could be more though." His eyes passed over them, his face drained. "I think they've taken residence in a school structure, that's why I wanted you here so early. It's not a school day but there is always the possibility that teachers will occupy the building during the day, so it's best we take care of this now." He unlocked his truck, jumping in the driver's side and started it up, waiting for the group to jump in.

The four filed into the bed of the truck, sitting up against the two sides separated by gender. They took off soon after, each of them gripping the cool metal sides of the truck in an effort to stay steady on take-off. Then, with the perfect opportunity presenting itself they each began drawing helpful runes on one another in their pairs. Clary enjoyed being the one to trace the inky swirling and complicated patterns onto her partner. They shared soft touches and tender looks as they did so, soothing the burn that accompanied the applying of runes.

The journey from the Jade Wolf to the school, which turned out to be a downtown elementary school, was short. It came to an abrupt end with Luke slamming on the breaks and leaping from the car, tearing across the freshly mown patch of grass and down the side of the main building. The group exchanged an alarmed look and leapt from the car, chasing after their supervisor with haste.

The brick main building and the wall that ran beside it only two or three meters away were comprised of a dull red brick. A wrought iron fence with spiked tips two meters tall ran along the length of the top of the wall and as they ran down the thin dirt pathway, dust and debris kicking up behind them as they traversed, Clary imagined being a child and feeling trapped by the tall walls, deterred from escaping by the dangerous points at the top of the fence.

She allowed her eyes to return ahead of her, the brown of the pathway and the supple greens and yellows of the grass blurring significantly as she ran. Beside her, Jace skidded to a halt almost falling over and kicking up a large cloud of dust as he did so.

"Blood, not fresh though." He muttered and they moved on, sprinting around the corner of the building to find Luke engaged in battle with several demons. They circled around him, each set of six thin legs making a skittering sound as they moved in unison. Clary grasped the hilt of her sword, unsheathing it as quietly as she could. The Dahak demons had thick, scaley looking skin that was an odd green-brown colour. Accompanied by their bulbous heads, venomous dripping fangs, faceted black eyes and wildly waving tentacles they looked like hideous aliens. They clicked and squeaked in an insectoid manner as they circled Luke, they didn't appear to notice the advancing shadowhunters.

Luke fended them off expertly, not particularly making any significant damage to them but effectively keeping them all occupied as the four fanned out and crept in closer. Once in place, they shared a look, Clary caught Luke's eyes for a moment, nodding slightly at him to indicate they were ready. In a flash, Luke transformed, leaping over the confused Dahak demons in one motion, his varying brown fur ruffling around him as he soared through the air. Ocean blue orbs connected with Clary's green and a moment later the four moved in on their stunned prey.

Clary swung her sword to the side, slicing three dry crispy feeling legs from the Dahak nearest her, she shuddered at the feeling and leapt to the left to avoid the dripping fangs that homed in on her. Rolling to the side, she readied her sword again and lunged, this time severing several tentacles as they extended out towards her.

"These things are disgusting." She commented, her face scrunching up as she embedded her sword in the creatures head all the way to the hilt. She ripped it free, showering the grass beneath them with splats of thick oozing ichor, the creature clicking wildly before disintegrating into a pile of black dust. She heard a growl of agreeance come from Luke behind her, him being too preoccupied with mauling a Dahak to return to his human form and reply.

Satisfied with her work, Clary moved over to join Jace as he battled three of the beasts with only Alec's cover fire to aid him. She jumped in, separating the Dahak closest to her from its friends. It lumbered towards her, clicking angrily as it did so and Clary jumped a couple of paces back to give Jace some space before engaging the creature. She immobilised it, detaching each of it's skittering legs before swiping violently to the side and slicing the top half of the creatures head off. Ichor sprayed outwards, coating her leather armour and the Dahak exploded into a shower of black dust.

By the time she finished, Jace and Alec had taken care of the other two. She waited for them to pass her, falling into step alongside them as they made their way over to Isabelle and Luke, who were both casually leaning against the hard red brick wall.

"We were just discussing what they might have been doing here," Isabelle noted as they joined up and made their way around to the truck.

"Well it hardly matters now, they're dead." Alec deadpanned, his blue eyes shining in the light of the morning sun.

"I suppose that's true, let's grab some breakfast, I'm buying." Luke jumped into the truck, invitation open. He chuckled at the chorus of stomach grumbles that followed and motioned toward the bed of the truck, starting the engine as the four shadowhunters hopped in. "What're you guys feeling?"


	2. 2 Summons

2\. Summons

They received two other calls before finally making it back to the institute, one small call about a disagreement between a vampire of Raphael's coven (who later turned out to be Simon) and a girl, Maia, from Luke's pack. They had arrived at the Jade Wolf to find the vampire kicking around outside, a sheepish look on his face, surrounded by several aggressive wolves. After a short conversation with Luke Maia and her friends went back inside and Luke dragged Simon with them to their next call to ensure he stayed safe, only after having stern words with him over his day-lighter abilities. The following call had been slightly more interesting, they had been invited out to the Celestial Blood Bar to look into the disappearance of a young male Vampire. They had found him several blocks away with the companion he had been drinking with sitting against the wall, head in his hands and covered in blood.

"Well, today has been eventful," Luke noted, his eyes shimmering in the soft light of the lamp to his left. He sat in the high backed armchair nursing a glass of scotch, his expression unreadable.

"I'm sorry again, about the trouble. It's just Raphi's been really busy with vamp politics and I haven't had anything to do." Simon explained for the seventh time that evening. He had a hip flask full of blood and had been sipping at it periodically for the past hour, Clary would have thought nothing of it if Simon wasn't a nervous fidgeter. Eyeing him with a gaze that promised to get to the bottom of his issues later she let it slide, for the time being, choosing to focus on the slow even breathing of Isabelle behind her.

"I have some news as well, I haven't had a good opportunity to tell you but now seems like a good time, everyone's full-on dinner and we've had a pretty successful day." Luke began, taking a sip of scotch, his eyes lingering on Clary for a moment longer than usual.

Clary surveyed her family for a moment, they didn't seem to catch on that the oncoming news wasn't exactly going to be good.

"So more good news to end the day then? Or... no?" Jace faltered, seeing Luke's expressionless gaze.

"No, he's saying he didn't want to tell us this news when we were in a bad mood, I'm guessing it's not good news." Clary studied Luke thoughtfully for a moment then smiled at him. "Whatever it is, I'm sure we'll be fine Luke." She added after a moment, leaning back against Isabelle's toned body.

"So what is it?" Alec questioned, he looked unsure. Clary knew he had been struggling more than usual, though he tried not to let on to the others and she hoped he would be okay going forward.

"The Clave has requested our presence in Alicante. I don't know what it's about, I just know they've requested all of the current shadows from this institute, they seem to have a particular interest in Clary." He drained his glass, averting his eyes from Jace's anger-filled expression.

"You can't be serious." The blonde-haired boy commented, anger flashing in his golden eyes. "What if they know about her abilities, Luke? You know they'll want to interrogate her and find out everything they can."

Clary felt Isabelle's arms tense around her at Jace's comment. She turned her head to the side, catching the fleeting expression of fear that passed over her features like a moving shadow.

"It's okay, I want to know what Alicante is like, I want to see it and maybe they can tell me exactly what it was that Valentine did to me." Clary offered, though she feared from the look on Jace's face that he might not care about her feelings on this particular occasion. With a frown, she turned back to Isabelle and watched her exchange a silent conversation with the blonde-haired boy to their left. Feeling helpless she cast her eyes over to Luke and Alec, the first of which studiously avoided her eyes. With a shrinking feeling her eyes connected with Alec's ice blue orbs, he gave her a half smile and barely shrugged his left shoulder, as if to say 'it's out of my hands'.

"Either way, we will be leaving in two days. The Clave has arranged with Magnus to create a direct portal." He gave them a tired look, clearly unpleased with the mixed reactions he received.

"Well, I'm glad you'll get to see your real home." Simon nudged her with his elbow, giving her a cheesy smile. "Want to come and grab a coffee with me?"

Clary reluctantly agreed, shuffling into the kitchen after Simon. She wondered what was so important that he felt the need to drag her away from such an imperative conversation but followed him nonetheless, the kitchen door swinging closed behind them and muffling the resumed conversation almost completely.

"What's up?" Clary asked, grabbing a cup from the dishwasher and placing it on the counter as Simon began to percolate the coffee.

"I'm sorry it's just, I have this like crush... Anyway, it's like ah I don't know how to explain it, I feel all tingly and warm around them and y'know but they're around me all the time and it's agonizing." Simon gushed, retrieving the silver flask from his pocket and taking a small sip before stowing it away again.

Clary raised a delicate red brow at him, almost chuckling at her dorky best-friends predicament. "Seriously, Simon, how long have we known each other? You know I know who it is." Clary teased, cracking a grin at the flustered vampire. She bumped him out of the way with her hip, sticking her tongue out at him petulantly before pouring some coffee into the mug and adding some sugar.

"Okay fine, that doesn't mean I want to say it out loud though," Simon replied, his face pleading. He handed her the milk from the fridge, waiting for her to finish with it before stowing it away in one of the shelves on the door.

"Fine. You should just tell him, Simon, if it's that hard. Seriously, you'll feel loads better after." She flashed him a smile, drinking some of the warm liquid. It surprised her how nice the feeling of the coffee coating her throat was and decided she must have been a lot thirstier than she thought.

"Oho, straight to the point as always Fray. Your sage advice is much loved." Simon grinned before pulling her into a one-armed hug, mindful of the coffee clasped tightly in her hands. "I should probably be getting back now anyway. Call me if you need me, I've got absolutely nothing to do so I'd love to spend any time I can with you."

Clary placed her coffee down on the dining table and gave him a proper hug, pounding on his back when the hug became too tight and began to stop her from breathing.

"I'll catch you later, Simon." Clary picked up her coffee again, exchanging a smile with her friend before he disappeared off to the Dumort again. When she returned to the lounge Luke, Alec and Jace were missing and Isabelle appeared to be engrossed in a wildlife documentary on the television.

"It would be cool if they did something like this for demons, Dahak's and ravagers in their natural habitats." Isabelle joked, shooting Clary a cute smile.

"Well now, that does sound interesting, it would be dangerous for the people recording it though." Clary played along, sliding into the spot next to Isabelle, the soft fabric of the couch spreading out in random patterns beneath her fingertips. Isabelle was wearing a casual black and red dress with thin straps running over her bare shoulders. Small black heels hung from her feet which dangled off of the edge of the couch. She was perfectly beautiful and appeared to be fairly comfortable in her position next to the red-haired girl. Clary pulled her legs up onto the couch and crossed them like she had been conditioned to do in elementary school, barely feeling any of the discomfort she had back in those days.

"So what do you want to do then?" Isabelle asked, stretching out like a cat and placing her head and shoulders fully in Clary's lap, her brown eyes gazing up at her with an unidentifiable intensity.

"Whatever you want," Clary responded, feeling rather breathless under the intensity of Isabelle's gaze. She could see Isabelle's eyes darken slightly at the tone of her voice, her breathing picking up so slightly Clary almost missed it.

"Come to the bedroom with me, then," Isabelle stated, sitting up so that their faces were barely inches apart, her dark eyes drifting towards Clary's lips and back up to her mossy green eyes in one smooth motion.

"Okay." Clary breathed, her face gravitating slowly towards her partners, seeking out the warmth of the other's lips until they were barely a centimetre apart and she could feel the brunette's breath ghosting deliciously over her lips.

Before their lips could connect Isabelle stood up suddenly from the couch with a mischievous look. She reached down and grabbed Clary's hand before pulling the red-haired girl up from the couch and leading her from the room. Clary was hypnotised by the swaying of Isabelle's hips as she walked ahead of her, barely noticing as they passed through the doorway to her room, purple sheets still kicked back on the bed where Isabelle left them that morning.

Isabelle turned as she met the bed, throwing her arms around Clary's neck and capturing her lips in a passionate kiss. Clary's eyes shot up as she responded to the kiss, her tongue teasing the edge of Isabelle's plump red lip asking for entry which the dark-haired girl permitted promptly. She allowed Clary's tongue to explore the cavern of her mouth, passing over the ridges of the roof of Isabelle's mouth and mapping out the offered area before taking up a tantalizing dance with the brunette's tongue. Clary felt the heat building in her core as she grasped her counterpart's hips and guided her backwards gracelessly onto the bed. She delighted in the low moan that dragged out in Isabelle's throat, the vibrations from the sound passing over their tongues as they kissed.

Clary pulled away, her eyes locking with Isabelle's as she gathered the hem of the girls' dress and pulled it slowly over the girl's head, tossing it unceremoniously to the floor before attacking Isabelle's throat and collarbones with a barrage of sweet kisses and teasing bites. She could feel Isabelle wiggling beneath her as Clary's hands wandered up Isabelle's stomach to cup her covered breasts, the black lace of her bra rough against the skin of Clary's hands. The feeling of having Isabelle at her mercy flicked a switch deep in Clary's mind that she wasn't aware of, she was filled with an innate confidence. With one hand Clary grasped the back of Isabelle's neck, lifting the dark-eyed girl a few inches from the bed to make room for her hand. Clary fumbled for a moment with the clasp but grinned at Isabelle anyway, emotions whirling around in her head and reflected in Isabelle's dark eyes as they gazed at each other.

She slid Isabelle's bra off, her fingertips trailing down the soft skin of Isabelle's arms as she did so, then threw it in the direction of the dress she had relieved minutes before. She allowed a moment for Isabelle to strip her top half, her gaze eyeing shaking slender hands with a smirk as the clothing was removed.

"Are you nervous?" Clary asked confidently, her thighs pressing into Isabelle's hips slightly as she leant over the dark-haired girl. She saw no reason to feel embarrassed over her nudity, she trusted Isabelle implicitly.

"A little." Isabelle chuckled, her hands sliding over the naked skin of Clary's back distractingly.

Clary allowed her lips to connect with Isabelle's smooth red ones, initiating a tender kiss which quickly became more fervent. Isabelle's hips pressed up into her eagerly and Clary allowed a moan to slide past her lips, her hands running over Isabelle's shoulders and down the centre of her chest, her index fingers dipping beneath the thin undergarment that resided there momentarily before trailing back up to the girls' breasts. She allowed her hands to pass over the smooth skin, Isabelle's hardened red nipples brushing against the palm of Clary's hand. Seeing Isabelle's eyes flutter shut at the touch Clary dragged her index fingers over the stiffened peaks circling them gently, enjoying the soft whimpers and moans emitting from plump parted lips.

The lusty fog surrounding Clary's mind thickened as her desire for the mewling girl grew, her lips crashed down against Isabelle's, red hair mingling with dark brown as the kissed her partner with all of the passion she could muster. Isabelle raised her hips again in response and in one smooth motion Clary slid her fingers into Isabelle's silky underwear and slipped them down her legs. With her index finger, she traced a line from the outside of Isabelle's ankle, across her knee and up the inside of the girl's thigh, her nail dragging against the soft skin all the while. She watched with rapt attention as Isabelle's hands grasped the sheets beside her, her lip tucked firmly between her teeth as she groaned.

Clary shifted her weight off of Isabelle and nestled herself between the dark-haired girl's legs, her left hand sliding under Isabelle's neck were her head met with the pillow. She kissed the girl again, drawing aimless patterns across the girl's stomach before delving into the hot wetness between her legs. Clary moaned as her fingers glided over Isabelle's clit, the feeling of Isabelle's silky wetness further fueling her desire. Isabelle let out a loud moan as Clary's finger circled her clit, taking up a slow and heavy rhythm. The dark haired girl let out soft moans and pants beneath her, her hips wiggling in an attempt to gain more friction.

Clary leaned down, placing a gentle kiss against the pale expanse of skin below Isabelle's jaw. She pressed her teeth to the area and began sucking gently, her tongue flicking over the soft skin as she did so.

"F-fuck. Please, Clary." Isabelle panted, her hands pulling the sheets upward as she writhed. Complying with Isabelle's vague wishes Clary increased her pace, her finger sliding over Isabelle's wetness with ease. Clary released Isabelle's neck as the girl threw her head back, biting her lip so hard a small bead of blood collected on her lip, a stark contrast to the white of her teeth.

"Please what, Isabelle?" Clary whispered, Isabelle's name rolling off of her tongue like a seductive invitation. She gazed at Isabelle, her tongue darting out to slide over dry lips in an attempt to moisten them.

"Please, fuck me," Isabelle replied, her breathing coming out in small gasps. Taking her invitation Clary plunged two fingers inside of her wound up partner, her thumb still pressed against the girl's clit as she slid them in and out of her wetness effortlessly.

Clary delighted in the low moans that burst from Isabelle's lips as her fingers hammered into the girl, her body shuddering with the building orgasm. Isabelle's hands flew to Clary's hips, gripping them tightly as the dark-haired girl cursed and moaned, driving Clary on.

With a quiet groan, Clary took her bottom lip between her teeth, ceasing her motions for a moment to add a third finger before resuming with urgency, her knuckles thudding against Isabelle's thigh as she pounded into her. Isabelle cursed loudly, her back arching up off of the bed as she called Clary's name, her voice cracking. The walls of Isabelle's centre twitched and pulsed against Clary's fingers and with a soft gasp, she felt her own dampened release. Her eyes flew shut as the short jolts of pleasure passed over her, a deep red blush rising on her cheeks immediately after.

After allowing a moment for the two to catch their breaths, Clary rolled off to the side, a sleepy haze filling her brain. They shared another gentle kiss as Isabelle tucked herself into Clary's side and pulled the covers over them. They lay with their foreheads touching, fingers wound together atop Clary's stomach and stayed there long into the night.


	3. 3 Relaxation

3\. Relaxation

When Clary awoke the next morning, her jeans gripping her hips almost painfully, Isabelle was still sound asleep and snoring lightly, her cheek pressed firmly to the pillow beside Clary's head. Her legs and arms were strewn haphazardly over Clary at strange angles, though looking at the dark-haired girl she appeared to be the perfect picture of complete comfort. It didn't seem to matter what Isabelle did she just always exuded an aura of beauty that stunned Clary and overwhelmed her with a myriad of emotions she couldn't begin to count off and so the possibility of moving and accidentally disrupting the sleeping beauty posed as an immediate threat to the red-haired girl. She allowed her fingers to trail idly across the naked skin of Isabelle's back, marvelling at the silky texture that passed over her fingertips for a moment.

Beside her, Isabelle began to stir, her long lashes fluttering open to reveal sleep-filled brown eyes. She yawned loudly, making a point to stretch her arms out and arch her back as she did so, her body trembling for a moment. "G'morning Clary," Isabelle murmured, sliding out of bed easily and grabbing an outfit from the stash of clothes she had started building up in Clary's room. Clary pouted at the girl as she stalked over to the bathroom, satisfied when the dark-haired girl turned to stick her tongue out and wink before heading through the open door.

Clary considered staying in bed an basking in the warmth for a while longer but hearing the shower begin to rain down on the porcelain of the bath, the pitches changing as Isabelle climbed under the spray she realised she couldn't. With no small amount of confidence, Clary removed her clothing and set out to join Isabelle in the shower. It couldn't hurt, right?

Sometime later the two reappeared, both feeling refreshed and clean. They loitered in the bedroom for a moment to dry their hair and remake the bed before setting out for the kitchen. Luke, Jace and Alec already sat around the table when they entered the room, each of them greedily grabbing eggs, bacon, sausages and hash browns from a large plate in the centre of the table. The girls exchanged a glance, in part wondering who made the food but mostly marvelling over the unlikely happy coincidence of stumbling across a cooked meal. With an exaggerated shrug, Clary took one of the remaining seats at the table, opting to seat herself next to Jace in favour of Alec. She knew she made the right choice seeing Isabelle's face light up as she fell into easy conversation with her brother.

"Mornin' sis." Jace greeted around a mouthful of food, though Clary could see the affection in his wording.

"Good morning, I had absolutely no idea you were practising for the world human hoover competition in Vancouver this year, I think you'll do great though." Clary joked, eyeing his massive pile of food with a sickly glace. The idea of eating so much as half of the mountain in front of her blonde-haired companion made Clary's stomach clench, she would wonder where it all went but with all of the intensive training and dangerous missions Jace must be burning it off somewhere.

"Yeah but Luke is gonna be tough competition." Jace retorted, downing half of the rich smelling black coffee beside his plate before digging in again. Her eyes slid across the table and almost exploded at the sight of Luke's plate, which was stacked like an intricate food Jenga blob that threatened to crawl off of the side of the plate.

"That right there is an art, being able to fit all that on one plate," Clary noted, using the silver metal tongs that lay discarded next to the half-empty coffee pot to shovel a more modest amount of food onto her own plate, making sure to grab a little bit of everything.

"Yes, but if that blob could speak it would be screaming 'Dear God, help me'," Alec added with a chortle, some of Magnus's daily humour shining through in his friendly joke.

"You said it, kiddo," Luke responded with a deep, rumbling belly laugh that contagiously infected the rest of the gathered Nephilim, devolving the group into a fit of giggles for a good few minutes.

"I swear Alec, Magnus is a really good influence on you. You're even cracking jokes now." Jace japed with a grin, his golden eyes gleaming mischievously. Seconds later the table began to rumble, the two boys playfully kicking one another beneath the table.

"Ouch Alec! Be careful you made me smack my knee off the table." Jace groaned. The thud had lifted the table centimetres from the ground, jostling Clary's arm and freeing the egg and bacon from the fork she grasped.

"Dammit guys I'm trying to eat," Clary chided, attempting futilely to sound irritated at the boys and keep her face straight. At this, Alec and Jace began making stupid faces, pulling on their eyelids, the corners of their mouths and their ears while sticking their tongues out and rolling their eyes. It didn't take long for Clary to burst into laughter once more. She saw the momentary look of appraisal on Isabelle's face before the girl cut in, swiftly kicking Jace in the shin and giving Alec the briefest 'no more nonsense or death ensues' look before returning to her own food, a small smile plastered on her face. "See, I have a badass girlfriend to kick your ass, you better listen to me from now on." Clary joked, jabbing her elbow into Jace's side gently before returning to her food.

"Yeah, I guess you have me there Clary." Jace conceded before immediately turning to Isabelle. "So you have an unearthly glow, could that have any correlation to the loud noises I heard filtering through the walls last night?"

Several things happened at once as a result of Jace's comment, both Alec and Luke choked on the food they were in the process of swallowing, Jace burst into a fit of giggles and rather uncharacteristically Isabelle turned the colour one might expect a perfectly ripe cherry to have. Clary gaped at Jace, who promptly fell from his chair onto the floor and Alec struggled to regain his composure.

"By the Angel Jace, I did not need to know that!" Luke barked, his face a mixture of complete shock and embarrassment. Internally Clary could feel herself shrink away slightly in embarrassment, her love life wasn't exactly something she wanted Luke to be privy to hearing about though she couldn't help but smile at the varied reactions.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry I won't bring it up again. Hey don't glare at me like that Iz, it's your own fault for being so dang loud." He chuckled again before raising his hands in defeat, wisely bowing out under the intense death glare the blushing brunette shot at him.

"Just you wait, Jace Lightwood, next time you're trying to get it with someone around me I'll be there, I will get my revenge maybe not now but someday." Isabelle's face was deadly serious, though something in her eyes belied a small amount of amusement over the direction the conversation was taking. Clary took the opportunity to finish her breakfast while the two had a short glaring contest with Luke observing, his eyebrows poised in a curious manner. It went on for several minutes, long enough for Clary to finish eating and pour herself a coffee neither of them appeared to have blinked the entire time and Clary was starting to feel concerned.

"So anyway now everyone is finished, I don't think Clary should be coming to Alicante with us. With her powers, being Valentine's daughter and being in a gay relationship with Izzy? No offence guys but I know neither of you would be able to hide it and only a small percentage of Nephilim support gay love/ marriage. Anyway, my point is I have a bad feeling about this and I don't think it's a good idea." He lay his hands down on the table, palms pressed firmly against the wood. He didn't look angry in any way, mostly concerned with a hint of shimmering fear trying to hide in the depths of his golden eyes.

"I understand your concerns, Jace but the truth is we don't have a choice. In light of recent events, Imogen will no longer be in the role of Inquisitor. That position is now being filled by a man named Aldertree whom I don't know too much about. He has convinced the council to call us all in for a more detailed recount of what happened and also to meet you, though that statement in itself leaves them a lot of leeway." Luke retorted eyes level with Jace's as he spoke. He was lounging backwards in his chair in an attempt to look relaxed though his stiffened posture gave away just how tense he really felt about the subject. It forced Clary to reconsider how enthusiastic she had been at first, as much as she had a right to see the world she came from her family had equal right to try and protect her from the possible dangers.

"You're right, it does sound like it might be unpleasant if something goes wrong but trust me when I say I can handle it. One way or another the Clave will want to see me at some point we would be as well to get it over and done with now." Clary eyed Isabelle for a moment, her eyes drinking in the exposed collarbones and smooth skin. She knew from seeing how scared Alec had been before coming out that there was a base to the rumours surrounding the homophobia in their world, she had heard the stories of shadowhunters beaten by their own kind some of which even went missing. She refused to broach the subject because it was all too real a threat even in the mundane world and to think of it taken to these extremes by 'angelic beings' was enough to overload her brain.

"Clary will have at least one of us with her at all times though, we can keep her safe," Isabelle said passionately, her sparkling brown eyes seemed to gaze at Clary's soul. She felt her heart skip a beat, gentle heat spreading across her cheeks as she shyly returned Isabelle's gaze.

"Yeah, it shouldn't take too long anyway we'll be back at the institute before we know it. You guys mind if I take off? Magnus wants to take me on 'the longest date of my life' to make up for how busy I'll be in Alicante." Alec's blue eyes sparkled as he spoke about his lover, a small happy smile playing about his lips.

"Of course, go get him, tiger," Isabelle smirked, leaning over to give her brother a tight hug before letting him bounce from the room with more energy than Clary had seen him within a while.

"A date sounds like a great idea, think I'll pick up three or four myself depending on how much time I have." Jace grinned. He stopped to grab Alec's plate and cup which the dark-haired boy had clearly forgotten about in his excitement and placed them atop his own in a sorted, neat stack before moving them into the dishwasher. "Dishwasher's almost full so last one to touch it starts it, I'm putting the tablet in before I go."

"Thanks, Jace, I'll probably get it I've been really hungry today and I'm thinking about eating some steak," Luke announced nonchalantly, he had opened up the daily newspaper missing the look of horror that passed over Clary's face at the thought.

"So you mean the whole cow then yeah? I don't think we have the facilities to cook that. Anyway, catch you later." Jace left the room with a grin, which mirrored Luke's almost perfectly.

"So what are you guys doing today then? It'll probably be tomorrow evening after nightfall that we'll be leaving so I'd say that's a fair amount of time to relax beforehand."

"Knowing Clary we'll probably pay Simon a visit but I need to lounge around for a bit first," Isabelle replied easily, raising her arms up to stretch before taking their used dishes over to the dishwasher and stowing them away.

"Okay well, keep your phones on you incase of any emergencies but otherwise have fun." Luke smiled, peering at them for a moment over the flopping corner of his newspaper. He readjusted the paper in his hands a moment later, the pages rustling against one another as he returned to the column he was reading.

"I guess we'll be watching a movie then!" Clary exclaimed gleefully, another opportunity to expose Isabelle to awesome movies causing excitement to bubble up inside her. If there was one thing she loved, it was spending time with Isabelle.


	4. 4 Night Out

4\. Night Out

 _Clary's eyelids felt as if the weight of a thousand lead bricks held them closed. Her breath sucked in slowly, the air feeling thick and dense as she pulled it into her lungs and the effort of breathing burned up energy like the coal fire of a steam engine burning at a steady pace until its fuel dwindled to nothing. She would have likened the sensation to drowning if it were not for the rest of her body feeling exposed to the cold air that surrounded her. Goosebumps raised across her arms and legs, the hairs standing on end. To her left, she could hear the gentle sounds of water lapping against a rocky shoreline. She wondered where she was if she was on a beach stranded somewhere. With some effort she curled her fingers towards her palms, surprised by the soft material that her fingers scooped up along the way. So maybe she was on a beach after all, though she couldn't smell the salt of sea air, in fact, the air here smelt entirely different to that of the places she had visited in her lifetime._

 _After a few moments, the weight began to lift from her eyelids, allowing them to open slowly. It was pitch black, the only light falling on the area coming from the luminescent light of the moon and stars that hung lazily in the night sky above her. Her surroundings were marked with hues of darkness, the moist sand beneath her a darker brown and the water beyond varying intensities of dark blues with small clusters of bubbles littering the surface in random positions. It was almost serene, sitting upon the sand and watching the gentle swaying of the water back and forth as the mild winds blew across the surface of the lake however Clary's mind was plagued with a feeling of unrest. She scrambled to her feet and whirled around, a shiver passing over her. Behind her trees spread out around the edge of the sand creating an arching forest. Her eyes searched between the trees, flicking backwards and forwards before coming to rest on a pair of brilliant, yellow shining eyes. Startled, Clary stopped, forcing her breathing to quieten as they gazed at one another._

 _Not a moment later a rumbling started emanating outwards from the lake behind her. A searing pain broke out in her stomach and the eyes vanished as her hand flew to the offending area. She spun around once again to look at the lake the surface of which was lit up with a brilliant golden light as a large figure emerged, water crashing outward around it in waves. Clary pulled her hand away from her stomach. She could feel the warm wet blood coating her fingers and palm, refused to verify the reality of it with a glance._

 _Her mind filled with the unearthly songs the bounced around in her mind, the hauntingly beautiful melodies willing her mind to calm. Out of the corner of her eye, she caught a glimpse of an unmoving body face down in the sand. She wrenched her eyes away from the beautiful figure that now protruded almost fully out of the water, her eyes falling on the motionless body of her brother and the dark stained sand surrounding him. She screamed._

"Clary wake up, it's just a dream." Isabelle's soothing tone ripped Clary from the dream she had been sewn into, her eyes flew open and her lungs dragged in a deep sustaining breath.

It took a moment for the room to come into focus around Clary, it was dark and they were in the living room which was faintly illuminated by the dark title screen of the film they had been watching. Clary didn't remember much about it, she assumed she had fallen asleep quite early into it after the two movies they had already watched. "I'm sorry, I fell asleep on you." Clary apologized, her balled up fists rubbing violently against her eyes in an attempt to help clear the fading vision of the dream she had been having.

"It's fine I didn't like that one as much anyway." Isabelle joked, taking Clary's hand in her own to lead the sleepy girl through to the kitchen. "So did you have the nightmare again?" The dark-haired girl asked offhandedly, she was in the process of making coffee while Clary seated herself at the dinner table and stood with her back to the red-haired girl.

"I guess you could say it was a nightmare, but not _the_ nightmare. Do you remember the drawing you asked me about a couple of days after what happened on the East River? I told you I'd had a dream about the sword and the cup and then it happened. Well, this dream felt the same, it's hard to explain. I think I was in Idris."

"That is kind of weird, do you think it means something? We _are_ going to Alicante tomorrow..." Isabelle trailed off, setting a steaming grey mug of coffee down in front of Clary. The milk was still swirling and mixing in with the liquid, causing a cloudy multi-hued effect.

"I don't know, I just hope it doesn't mean anything. In my dream, an angel was rising from the lake and Jace was bleeding out into the sand beside me. I saw these eyes as well, yellow shining eyes like a cat between the trees."

"That sounds a lot like lake Lyn, Clary. Surely that's a sign that your dream means something, maybe the way you interpret it is what will allow you to change it?" Isabelle offered, her dark brown eyes shimmering with faint excitement. Clary couldn't help but grin, there was something about being around Isabelle that filled her with an indescribable warmth. She wanted nothing more than to explore the emotions calling out to her from the tender dark eyes that gazed at her.

"You're incredibly cute, you know that right? Maybe we should ask Simon his opinion." Clary grinned, sipping at the cooled coffee in front of her.

"Oh you're right I forgot about that, how come we needed to wait for dark to see Simon anyway? He has daylighter powers he can walk in the daylight now, can't he?" Isabelle cocked her head to the side, a confused smile playing at her plump red lips.

"Yeah but I wanted Raphael to come as well, anyway we're going to one of Simon's gigs first and that's not going to start until nine fifteen." Clary explained, still captivated by the small smile and the bright excitement portrayed in Isabelle's eyes. Clary took a moment to finish her coffee, fixing her eyes on the cracks and bumps on the oak wood of the table in order to stop herself from becoming distracted.

"So then, that means I still have time to take you out for dinner then." Isabelle pointed out, one finger poised auspiciously at the corner of her mouth as she grinned at the fortunate circumstances.

"What did you have in mind?"

As it turned out, an entirely casual meal at Taki's one of the groups usual food hangouts. It provided an extra note of normality to their evening that Clary was grateful for and the easy banter that passed between them as they each ordered their favourite dishes added another depth to the night entirely.

"I can understand why Alec was so worried about coming out before." Clary commented, Isabelle had been sharing stories about the times their family had vacationed in Alicante, they proved to be rather enlightening but Clary refused to believe that they couldn't change the hateful ways of the Clave, they just needed fresh minds and serious law revisions.

"The way some of the elders acted around Alec caused Mom to stop allowing us to visit with them, this is the first time we'll have been to Alicante in years... Honestly I can't wait but I'm nervous about how people will respond to you, to us. Jace is right though, it wont stop me from being myself around you." Isabelle who had finished her braised salmon reached across the table to take Clary's hand in her own as she spoke. She had a light blush dusting her cheeks, likely a result of the glasses of wine they had each drank throughout the course of the dinner. It was incredibly nice to have a normal date with the dark-haired girl and though it seemed casual it had turned out to be far more mature than any other date she had been on yet. So far Isabelle managed to soar high above any preconceived standards Clary had set in her mind for relationships and it led the red-haired girl to think about the Seelie Queen's previous comment on the two on more than one occasion.

"I'm glad you feel like you can be yourself around me, honestly it's the greatest gift you could give me. I get how you feel though, I promise I'll stay with people I know the entire time we're there." Clary smiled, it would be an interesting adventure taking a trip to Idris and she still couldn't help the overwhelming excitement she felt over the subject. Isabelle's descriptions of the beautiful country scenery, forestery and of course Alicante itself. It painted a fairytail picture in Clary's mind that she could only begin to fathom, she planned to pack art supplies for their journey. If Alicante truly was as beautiful as Isabelle described it would provide the perfect scenery for her to capture.

"Trust me Clary, I feel far more comfortable around you than I have around potential love interests in the past. There's something so innocent and welcoming about you, I feel like you accept people as they are and it just puts me at ease. Everything you do is laced with the ambition to do right by your family as well, you're just an admirable person and I love spending time with you." There was a strange vulnerability in Isabelle's eyes which smoothed over into a warm tender look as Clary smiled and squeezed the brunette's hand. "We should get going or we'll be late, don't worry I'll pay." Without another word Isabelle rummaged through her bag to retrieve money and Kaelie the Fae waitress meandered over to them and set the cheque down on the table before wandering off in another direction.

Isabelle placed her money atop the waiting check, making sure to leave a tip for the airy graceful waitress.

"I know what you mean, I feel inexplicably comfortable around you as well though you do make me blush a fair amount. You're such a strong amazing and beautiful woman too, I feel like I hit the jackpot with you." Clary continued as they left Taki's and headed towards the Hunters Moon on Hester's street. She flashed a shy smile at Isabelle, their fingers instinctually intertwining as they walked.

It was quiet outside for how early they were out, few people roamed the streets with them however the traffic seemed quite heavy. Clary's phone began to buzz in her pocket and she slipped it easily from her jeans, unlocking it with her thumb expertly before pressing it tightly to her ear. "Hello?"

" _Hey, it's Raphael, Simon wanted me to make sure you were on your way, he's getting nervous._ " Raphael's smooth voice sounded over the line. She could hear Simon complaining half-heartedly on the other side, accompanied by Raphael's soft chuckle.

"Yeah don't worry we're just heading down the street now if you guys want to meet us outside." Clary replied, her eyes connecting with Isabelle's who seemed to understand the situation and sported a small smirk.

" _Great, see soon._ " The chuckling vampire replied before Clary heard a click and the line went dead.

"So please tell me there's something going on between those two." Isabelle laughed as Clary stowed her phone safely away in her pocket.

"Definitely, Simon already confessed to me about it." Clary giggled, she didn't feel bad about telling her partner about Simon's crush when it was just so blaringly obvious.

"Now that is adorable, it'd be really good for Simon too." Isabelle went quiet as they approached the two vampires in question. Raphael wore a trim and noteably expensive suit which fit his form perfectly, Clary surmised that he had went to the trouble of having this suit tailor made. Clary shared a knowing look with Isabelle, who seemed to be enjoying the situation far more than Clary had assumed. "Wow Raphael is that a tailored suit? It looks great, you look awesome as well Simon looks like someone did your hair for you." Isabelle greeted.

Clary almost burst into a fit of giggles at the response of the two. Simon immediately began rubbing the back of his head nervously, shuffling from foot to foot while his counterpart avoided looking at the present shadowhunters. Turning to hide the touch of embarrassment showing on his face, Raphael turned on his heel and led them through the side door and over to a table set up close to the stage. There was a large crowd inside, most of the tables were full and many people were standing about the room with drinks in hand, waiting for Simon's set to start.

"I gotta go do my last preparations, I'll see you guys after." Simon grinned, waving dorkishly with his right hand before heading off towards the back of the stage, his brown hair bouncing lightly atop his head with every step.

When Clary turned back to the table Raphael was placing drinks in front of them, his own glass of blood placed neatly in the exact centre of the Jack Daniel's coaster. "Thanks." Clary offered, taking a sip of the brightly coloured liquid offered to her. Her face recoiled at the strong taste but she swallowed nevertheless, shaking her head after in an attempt to shake the taste away. "So Raphael, you got Simon to go solo for the Downworld huh? I've been telling him he should go solo for a while, he has an amazing amount of talent he just doesn't always have the confidence."

"Yeah I did, I agree entirely that's why I'm glad you guys are here tonight to provide him a little extra support I really just want to see him able to do the things he loves doing." Raphael gazed at Simon as he stepped up onto the stage almost dreamily, his fingers playing with the rim of his glass as his eyes swept over the boy. It was clear to see he had feelings for her friend, she only hoped they would tell each other sooner rather than later.

"Here's to a great night!" Isabelle exclaimed, raising her glass towards the centre of the table.

"To a great night"


	5. 5 Ambush

5\. Ambush

The whole night was a whirlwind rush of excitement for Clary beginning with Simon's five-song set that stunned the audience into silence. His lyrics had been wrought with the raw feelings of going through the change and finding himself and on more than one occasion alluded to a special someone. All in all, he came off the stage quite proud of himself receiving more support from the gathered downworlders than they had thought possible. They hung around the Hunter's Moon for a while longer to have a few drinks but when the line of people stopping by the table to see Simon became overwhelming they made a hasty retreat.

When they exited through the side door they had originally entered through Clary was surprised to see small glowing lights dotted around the alleyway, seeming to form a trail for them to follow. On closer inspection, Clary noticed they were actually a small species of fae, which danced around lazily in the air beckoning them onwards. They had followed the trail of fae with an amiable silence between them with Raphael leading the way and Simon following close behind, above them the stars hung brilliantly in the sky, twinkling like precious diamonds in a sea of black velvet. The air around them was brisk and cold but it did nought but propel them onwards, the excitement coursing through them over-riding the body's instinctual need for warmth.

It wasn't long before they found themselves at Central Park, where a huge assortment of vampires, werewolves and fae danced together in a tight circle. The area over their heads sizzled with brightly coloured dust that rained down from no-where and gently powdered the people dancing below in bright colours. A wind and percussion ensemble comprised of several colours of fae played their hauntingly serene and beautiful melodies into the night providing the overall pace for the party. They spent the rest of the night there, picking delicious foods from the offered platter, dancing and generally talking amongst themselves about the past present and future.

When three AM came barrelling past them they bid their farewells to their vampire companions with the promise of Simon stopping by to see them off. It was far later than they intended by the time they traipsed into the institute and the halls were bare and quiet. With little thought of staying up any later, the girls made their way into the bedroom and fell asleep.

" _I didn't get to tell him, Clary._ " The faintest echo of Simon's voice bounced around Clary's mind the next morning. It was a small snippet of a dream she couldn't quite remember and though she tried desperately for several minutes to remember upon waking up to an empty bed she could not. It bothered Clary in ways she could not describe, Simon's pain laced words struck up an uneasy feeling in the pit of her stomach that wasn't eased by their upcoming departure.

She had gone to finish packing immediately, stowing her favourite travel pad and pencil set away in the black sports bag that already held her clothing and the current textbook she was studying. It was another book about runes and though Clary knew she could find a copy in Alicante rather easily she opted to take it with her, it held a sort of sentimental value to her as it was one of the many gifts Luke had given to her in recent weeks.

Finally satisfied that everything she needed was accounted for she promptly zipped the bag up and dressed in tight black jeans and a galaxy t-shirt before stowing her stele in her front pocket. She hoisted the bag up onto her shoulder and wandered out of the room in the direction of the kitchen. When she entered she was surprised to see everyone waiting already. Isabelle gave a small apologetic smile from one side of the table and motioned for Clary to sit in the empty seat next to her. Without a thought, Clary dropped her bag in the corner of the room by the door, grabbed a cold can of soda from the fridge and seated herself beside Isabelle. Across from them sat Jace, whose blonde hair sat in a tousled blonde mess atop his head which matched the sloppy satisfied smirk plastered on his face. Alec beside him smiled unusually brightly, an aura of warmth and happiness exuding from him. The only person currently missing was Luke, though she had expected as much. He would likely appear with Maryse and Magnus when all the preparations were in place.

"Sorry for taking off before you woke up, I forgot to finish packing but it didn't really take me as long as I thought it would." Isabelle smiled, her elbows placed firmly against the table to steady the delicate hands that cupped her chin, slender fingers extending out towards small ears that slightly peeked out from between curtains of her luscious brown hair. Clary smiled and rolled her eyes in response, her nails sliding against the cold wet metal to pry the ring pull up, opening the pan with a pop and subsequent fizz.

She took a moment to have a drink, the cold bubbling liquid soothed the morning burn of her throat nicely before addressing Isabelle with a look of mirth. "You don't need to worry about stuff like that, I understand that you won't be there sometimes," Clary said easily, leaning her back against the hard wood of the chair. Her mind still hummed with the echoes of her prior dream and the faint buzz of what she considered might be a hangover. "So what's got you two so happy then, have a nice night out?" Clary asked, eyeing the two boys with a quirked brow.

"I'm still enjoying my trip to Tokyo and Jace apparently had some fun last night," Alec responded he smiled in a friendly manner though his blue eyes held a hint of fatigue and Clary wondered for a moment if the dark-haired boy had remembered to sleep amidst his adventures.

"Wow Tokyo sounds great, I've always wanted to try a pork cutlet bowl. Hey Jace, did you remember to get a number for the girl?" Clary turned to tease the golden-eyed boy whose grin grew in turn as he leaned casually backwards against his chair.

"Perhaps, perhaps." He returned, taking a sip of bitter back coffee. His eyes revealed nothing and Clary could only wonder if he had.

"You could just ask Magnus you know, he wouldn't mind taking you sometime when we have a vacation." Alec offered, his eyes shining at the thought of revisiting the city of lights.

"That would be amazing I've heard Tokyo is a really nice place and it would be great for us to all get away on a vacation." Isabelle sighed dreamily, her eyes gazing off into the distance as she daydreamed. Clary chortled to herself quietly, watching the brunette's eyes light up with fascination.

"I'm sure if we kill Valentine we'll be able to have time for vacation's," Luke laughed, stepping through the doorway as the door swung open. Behind him Maryse and Magnus stood, each with tight tentative smiles plastered on their faces. It was evident from a glance that the two still had some tension between them though it seemed for the most part that they managed to skirt around whatever problems they had in order to deal with the situations in a mature manner.

"Are we all ready to go?" Clary questioned the excitement within her bubbling over into the deliverance of her words. She could see Maryse's eyes soften, the smiles on her and Magnus's faces relaxing significantly.

"Yes, we're all set to leave now, if everyone has their bags." Maryse replied, her blue eyes passing over each of them before resting fondly on Alec

With a murmur of excitement passing between them as they collected their things and followed their escort down the hallway to the lift. It was a somewhat cramped ride down with everyone's bags filling the extra space and pressing them outward towards the walls. They meandered outside to the courtyard and stopped to place their bags near one of the walls of the Institute on the grey slabbed pavement. There was a thick fog rolling over the expanse of grass that stretched outward, a hint of some obscure scent in the air that Clary couldn't quite place. She could see Simon walking over to them, his eyes on the ground. He walked with a fast pace and sported a mildly disturbed look on his face.

"Something isn't right here," Clary muttered, looking toward Magnus whose cat-like eyes captured her gaze. She could see her concern mirrored in his shining yellow-green eyes, solidifying the horrible feeling forming deep in the depths of her stomach.

"I agree, everyone, be alert," Luke growled, his mouth twitching as his teeth extended into razor sharp points. She could see the tips of his fingers morphing, his nails extending into darkened sharp claws as his chest rumbled.

It happened a split second after, a resounding thud that shattered the unearthly silence that surrounded them. The ground rumbled beneath their feet and sensing an oncoming fight Clary launched herself over to her bag and hastily retrieved her sword, leaving the sheath protruding from the unzipped bag where she left it. When she turned back her family had launched into the mist. She could make out their outlines, as well as the outlines of several large figures alongside them.

"Simon!" Clary called, tearing into the fog with a sense of urgency. An agnormally muscled arm thrust outward, striking her squarely in the temple and knocking her flying with the force the creature exerted. An intense ringing sparked in Clary's ears and she scrambled to right herself again, gripping her sword tightly in her hand. The arm came for her again and she sliced at it ruthlessly, catching a glimpse of a mangled rune emblazoned upon greying flesh. Clary recoiled away from the forsaken, backing away as quickly as she could away from enraged swings.

She could hear voices screaming around her in the fog and she looked around for them desperately, hoping to find the shadow of an ally gliding through the fog around her. Suddenly, her back struck something solid. With her free hand, she reached to touch the material, feeling rough porous brick with her fingertips. A moment later the forsaken launched through the fog causing wisps of mist to swirl around them. Clary darted to the left, allowing the creature's fist to collide with the wall. She took the opening to her advantage and drove the tip of her blade into the back of the forsaken's skull. She felt vomit rise in the back of her throat as crimson blood spilt out and the forsaken fell to the ground limp.

"Clary!" Jace's voice called out through the fog somewhere ahead of her. Without hesitation, Clary rushed into the mist with only her brother's voice to guide her. Within a few minutes, she found him, alarm portrayed clearly on his face. He had Simon thrown over his shoulder haphazardly and was aiming for a brilliant light that shone through the fog. "We have to get to the portal. We have to get Simon to safety, he needs help." Jace ground out, his face stricken with pain and anxiety.

Panick broke out in Clary's mind as she raced toward the light with Jace. In reality, it was only a few moments before they reached the portal though it felt like an eternity.

"Go through, now! I'm following after, Maryse raised an alert for the institute they'll be sending people any minute."

With a final panicked look at Magnus, Clary grabbed Jace's shoulder and stepped into the portal.

The sight that greeted Clary on the other side of the portal was not something that any of her shadowhunter family had been inclined to warn her about. She found herself in a giant hall with ornate pillars spaced evenly down each side of the room, a grand curving stairway arced around the largest gathering of shocked Nephilim that Clary had ever seen. Standing at the forefront of them stood a chubby, balding man whose shining head slowly appeared to be taking the colour of a ripened tomato. Clary felt anxiety flowing through her as her eyes passed over the many unfamiliar faces. Her breathing became more laboured as the aforementioned balding man began to make his way over to them, his grey Inquisitor's robes flapping around him angrily.

"What is the meaning of this!?" He asked with urgency, coming to a stop directly in front of Jace. His sausage-like stubby fingers reached to poke at Simon who lay across Jace's shoulder, bleeding steadily.

"Sir, there was a forsaken attack on the institute as we were leaving and Simon was quite badly injured. It seemed at the time that the best option was to take him through the portal with me." Jace announced, raising his chin indignantly at the shorter man his eyes daring the balding shadowhunter to challenge him.

"Oh of course, of course. He does appear to be quite badly injured doesn't he, he's bleeding everywhere. Well, we'll have to do something about that, you may leave him now." Inquisitor Aldertree replied, staring at Jace with his beady eyes while the blonde-haired boy lowered their injured comrade to the floor. "Penhallow, Dearborn will you please escort the vampire to a suitable room for treatment, we have much to discuss."

Through the crowd, Isabelle and Alec emerged with their youngest brother in tow, an adorable wide smile plastered on his sweet childish features.

"Big brother Jace! Alec says you're in trouble again!" Max practically sang as he launched himself into Jace's waiting arms. Jace threw the boy up into the air easily and caught him before swinging him up so that he could sit upon his shoulders.

Isabelle stepped over to Clary, her pale slender fingers finding Clary's to intertwine in a reassuring gesture. It calmed the anxiety that roared within her significantly. She felt intense gazes on her immediately at the small gesture and was more than happy to allow Isabelle to lead her from the large hall, up the marble staircase and through an open door into a small lounge.

A dark haired boy sat in one of the red upholstered armchairs that arched around the fireplace, which had a small fire spitting away in its depths. His features reminded Clary perfectly of her minds depiction of a typical 'dark prince' though there was something inherently familiar about his features. He barely acknowledged them with a glance as they entered, preferring to keep his eyes glued to the ancient looking book grasped firmly in his hands.

"What's all the commotion now?" A female voice asked from across the room. a black shock of hair poking around another doorway. Her expression was inquisitive but something more guarded flashed in her brown eyes as they surveyed the new occupants. "So you _are_ back then."

Jace moved further into the room, throwing himself down haughtily into the armchair farthest from the dark-haired boy. "Aline, we fucked up."


	6. 6 Unease

6\. Unease

Clary stood before a large glass window atop a hill which provided her with the perfect view of the city below. She could see several large glass structures, not unlike squared smooth towers dotted around, the houses below which fit the neat sections squared off by canals and the river flowing down the centre of the city. They were made of honeyed bricks and red slats atop their roofs which stood out in stark contrast to the narrow cobbled streets. Beyond the walls stretched out countless acres of forest and for a moment Clary wondered just how big Iris really was.

"Those glass structures are the demon towers that provide the wards for Alicante, the dense forestry you're eyeing up is called Brocelind forest. There is a large amount of countryside here in Idris, with family manors dotted around the countryside. I could take you to see Fairchild manor sometime if you'd like." The green-eyed boy who had been content to read his book approached her by the window, apparently disinterested with the rambling story Jace was telling Aline. A feeling of familiarity once again rose to the forefront of Clary's conscious mind and though she could see his features better in their close proximity Clary still could not understand why. "My name is Sebastian, it's nice to meet you." He extended his hand in a friendly gesture, a lopsided smile plastered on his face. His jawline and cheekbones were strong and prominent in a way that reminded Clary of Jace's features, though there was something more elegant and refined about the slope of Sebastian's nose and chin.

"Clary, but you already know that; it's nice to meet you too." She took the offered hand in a firm shake, smiling awkwardly at the mysterious boy as his eyes settled on the mark on her throat. She raised a hand to cover it, feeling uneasy at the flickering anger she noted in his eyes. It passed as quickly it came, though and Clary moved on with the conversation, hoping to distract from the awkward moment. "Alicante is more beautiful than I could have imagined, I can't wait to see more of it. So, you know where Fairchild manor is?" Clary questioned as she studied the night sky. She was certain that there were more constellations hanging brightly amidst the blended black, blue and purple hues of the sky and briefly considered asking the dark-haired boy about it, though she feared she would make a fool of herself.

"Yeah I've been around the countryside quite a lot since I came back here, I wanted to see everything. I've been excited to meet you, Aline as well I'm sure she'll try and talk to you when she's finished catching up with golden boy." He said the last two words slightly louder, throwing a teasing look at Jace over his shoulder before turning back to Clary. "We're in the Accords hall just now, once we know what's happening with your _vampire_ friend we'll probably head home for the night. I'd say you might have to sleep on the couch but I'm sure Isabelle would be more than welcome to have you sleep in her room." He gave Clary a sly look, his forest green eyes slanted at her as he did so. Something about the way the word vampire rolled off of his tongue as if it were half dipped in acid unsettled Clary but she chose to ignore the uneasy feeling for the time being

"Sebastian! That's inappropriate!" Aline gasped, eyeing the door with a tinge of panic lacing her movements.

"Yeah watch it marker-boy, you know what could happen if you talk about things like that too loudly. How'd you figure it out so fast anyway? They've barely been close to each other since we got here." Jace's eyes fixed on Sebastian, narrowed to slits as he gazed at the boy with intense scrutiny.

"Chill, chill! I'm not trying to get anyone in trouble here I was just joking. Also, _Jace_ , it's actually quite obvious if you pay any attention to the dopey eyes they keep giving each other." The two gazed at each other for a moment longer, the tension hanging in the air between them before they both burst into a fit of giggles.

"It _is_ pretty obvious isn't it?" Jace guffawed, his laughter increasing at the two scathing looks directed at him.

"Well I think it's really nice, you two make a cute couple," Aline commented, her face aglow with a bright smile. For a moment Clary considered hugging her two new companions, they each seemed to have the delicate balance of joking and acceptance just right and it overwhelmed Clary how naturally kind the two appeared.

"Thanks, it's quite new though Aline so if you could keep it under wraps around the adults the would be nice." A light blush had formed in Isabelle's cheeks at the black-haired girl's compliment which captured Clary's attention, they shared a look for a moment and something in those dark eyes compelled Clary to waltz across the room and plop herself beside the dark-haired beauty. Sebastian followed, taking the book he had been reading from the cushion before making himself comfortable once again in the high backed red armchair he had been occupying previously. Behind him in the corner, Clary caught a glimpse of little Max laying on an array of pillows reading a manga she hadn't seen before. The cover sported a picture of a green-haired boy with a cute boyish face who was wearing a traditional black school uniform. The bold yellow and red writing above was enough to intrigue Clary and she made a mental note to ask the boy about this latest series at a later date.

A comfortable silence fell between the gathered Nephilim, which was promptly broken by the sounds of multiple sets of footsteps coming their way. A moment later, Luke popped into the room. He looked far more tired than Clary had seen him before and she wondered idly if it was all the polotics of being in the heart of Idris once again. "They've cleared Simon to come back to the Penhallows for tonight with strict instructions for Alec to bring him to the guard by noon tomorrow so he can be sent home. It's quite late so we should be heading back now."

"At noon? But he's a vampire! He'll burn up in the sun!" Aline exclaimed, aghast at the prospect.

"It's fine, trust me. Simon has unusual gifts that a lot of people know about apparently, Aldertree knew before he even went in to question the poor boy. Magnus has gone back to New York too, Alec, before you ask." Luke sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose in an attempt to ward off an oncoming headache. Clary wondered how the short, chubby man had become privy to such information. While it was true the brown-haired boy had taken it upon himself to test his abilities on more than one occasion after receiving his powers but she doubted it had been picked up by any shadowhunters in the area. "Shall we go then?" Luke asked, abruptly pulling Clary from her thoughts.

With a murmur of general consensus, the group rose from their comfortable positions and followed the tired man from the room and back down the marble staircase. Upon exiting the building, Clary felt a change in the air which felt denser and heavier. It reminded Clary of the dream she'd had of the lake but she pushed the images from her mind. She wanted to enjoy her time in this mystical place, she did not want to be plagued by possibly prophetic dreams!

Simon and Maryse were waiting for them on the long flat stone steps that framed the entrance of the hall of accords. Maryse gave them a small smile as the group approached, making sure to keep an eye on the meek-looking vampire next to her. "The house is on Princewater street, Luke. I'm sure you remember. It's not too far of a walk." Maryse remarked a hint of some significant yet unreadable emotion flickering in her blue eyes. She turned away promptly after, leading the way towards their destination for the night.

Clary found herself absorbed in the quiet city as they trekked. It was more beautiful than her mind could have imagined before her eyes saw it and she couldn't help but find herself wondering what her life might have been like had she been raised within the tall walls of Alicante.

Before long they were entering the Penhallow's quaint home. Immediately upon entering the small hallway, Sebastian and Aline made their way up the stairs and Maryse ambled through to what Clary presumed was the kitchen, where the smell of a meat-filled hearty stew wafted out from. Maryse motioned to an open door on her way past and the remainder of the group entered the room to find a large varnished dark wood dining table with several chairs each with a large ornate rose carved into the backs. They seated themselves at the table with Luke, Simon, Alec and Jace taking up one side. Max, Isabelle and Clary sat opposite them. The group stayed silent as they waited for something to happen and Clary felt undeniably awkward. It wasn't every day you just stayed at someone else's house, after all, the scenery surrounding her felt decidedly foreign and she concluded it would probably take a while for that to change.

"Sebastian and the Penhallow's have already eaten but Jia was nice enough to cook a stew for us." Maryse explained, hoisting a large steaming pot of stew up onto the table. It what comprised of a tender looking meat, dark brown broth and several vegetables not all of which Clary could identify. Her stomach heaved an almighty grumble as she eyed the stew, clearly angry at her for not having eaten yet. Maryse disappeared back into the kitchen and reappeared once more, this time holding a stack of bowls with a bundle of spoons resting inside the top one. She seated herself next to Max after placing them on the table and gestured for everyone to just take what they wanted.

Clary waited politely for everyone to take a bowl and spoon before retrieving the last remaining set. She felt eyes on her and turned to catch Maryse's approving smile, which she returned with earnest. It took a few minutes for everyone to fill their bowls with stew, the boys fighting over first dibs as if their stomachs might digest themselves. It was an amusing sight to see, though Clary found herself feeling relieved when Isabelle wordlessly took her bowl and filled it with stew.

"Oh, I think I forgot the bread," Maryse noted, placing her spoon down beside her bowl before making an attempt to get up.

"It's fine, you've done so much, let me get it," Clary said quickly, raising from the table. She offered Maryse a quick smile before heading through to the kitchen. She found the plate full of modestly buttered slices of bread next to the stove and out of habit she checked to make sure nothing was hot before retrieving the plate and wandering back to the dining area. She slid the plate onto the table before falling back into her chair with a soft thump, eager to dig into the delicious meal in front of her.

After a while of relaxed chatter between the group and subtle touches exchanged between Clary and her counterpart Maryse, Max and Luke retired to get some rest leaving the remainder of the group to quietly discuss recent events and love interests. After a while, Jace and Alec disappeared upstairs with Simon tagging along with the promise of a nice couch to lay on for the night. With Isabelle's help, the two girls cleared away the aftermath of their filling dinner before they too decided to retire.

It was strange heading upstairs with Isabelle, Clary knew it had been a time since Isabelle had set foot in Idris yet she seemed completely comfortable under the Penhallow's roof and appeared to know where they would be lodging. They passed several doors with audible signs of life behind them and two completely silent doors before Isabelle came to a stop, her hand poised on the brass doorknob ready to open it.

"Jace, Alec and I used to come over here a lot, I remember the house quite well," Isabelle commented quietly, her dark eyes shining under the witchlight that lit the hallway. After a moment she opened the door and lead Clary inside.

Much to Clary's surprise the room Isabelle led her into felt considerably warmer and homier than the rest of the house. A kingsize bed sat pressed up against the far wall, a large window set into the wall above the short leather covered headboard. The sheets that covered the bed were coloured in several neutral tones, fitting with the general theme of the rest of the room. The walls were painted a soft mocha, a lighter shade than the wooden table and wardrobe that also occupied the room, creating a nice contrast.

"This isn't what I expected but I really like it," Clary commented, a grin breaking out on her face as she eyed the two bags sitting at the foot of the bed.

"It is a neat little room, isn't it. How do you think Simon's coping?" Isabelle returned, she stripped out of her jeans and made herself comfortable in the bed and Clary couldn't help but notice the slightly guarded look she sported.

"I think he'll be going mad being away from Raphael, he'll probably be hungry too. It's a good job they'll be sending him back tomorrow..." Clary trailed off, catching on to the subtle change in Isabelle's expression at her comment. "You don't think he'll get home?"

"I'm concerned, I know Jace and Luke are as well. Remember how Luke told us Aldertree already knew about Simon's daylighter abilities?" Isabelle questioned, her tone flat and serious. She turned on the small witchlight lamp that sat on the left side of the bed before settling back into her previous position and eyeing Clary with a raised brow.

Taking the hint, Clary shut off the overhead light and moved over to the bed before crawling in and situating herself beside Isabelle, her head propped up on one hand so she could face the dark-haired girl. "I remember, I thought it was strange that he would know considering I don't think any shadowhunters in New York would've picked up on it. Maybe he got the information from elsewhere?"

"It's possible but we wouldn't know who. All I know is it's a bit strange that a swarm of forsaken showed up exactly when we were set to leave and then this as well? It's too much of a coincidence if you ask me." She tucked some of the stray brown locks that had been framing her face behind her ear and stared at Clary pointedly. "I wouldn't be surprised if something goes wrong."

"But Alec is taking him up to the Gard, I'm sure we'll know if something does happen. We'd think of something to help him." Clary pointed out optimistically, though the faintest hint of a whisper passed through her mind, bringing forth the memories of waking from a dream she couldn't quite remember. She began to doubt her words, the uneasy feeling she'd been sporting all day suddenly growing immeasurably within her.

"You're right Clary, everything will be fine." Isabelle cooed, her expression softening as she reached out to lay a comforting hand over Clary's. "Anyway, it's been a long night, how about we get some rest?" She murmured, brushing her lips ever so gently over the exposed skin of Clary's forehead. Clary allowed her eyes to fall shut at the sweet gesture, saving the memory and filing it away for a time when she might truly need it.

"I love you, Isabelle," Clary whispered as the brown-eyed girl leaned over to cut out the light.

"I love you too, Clary."


	7. 7 Exit Stage Left

The next morning was as peaceful as Clary could have hoped for. She awoke early to find Isabelle missing, the distant sound of seraph blades clashing in the distance indicating she might have woken early to get in some practice. She took a shower, dried her hair and dressed in a pair of blue jeans accompanied by a purple woollen sweater that hugged her curves and warmed her upper body nicely. She surmised it would take a while to adjust to the cool, unnaturally heavy air in Idris but in a way, it was a nice change to the often pollution dominated air that surrounded New York. The air in Idris felt crisp and cleansed her lungs as she breathed.

For a moment she considered stopping by the square panelled window with her art supplies and recreating the beautiful scenery surrounding her but she knew it would not be fair to Simon. He had left for the couch rather early with Jace and Alec, leading Clary to believe he was feeling homesick, possibly missing a certain dark-haired cross-wearing vampire.

"Hey Dracula, how's it going?" Clary asked, finding him tucked away in one of the plush cream armchairs that looked on at a large bay window, in the lounge on the bottom floor. He was wearing the same large hoodie, blue jeans and converse sneakers he had been the day before though they looked as pristine as they had, the only feature out of place on the forlorn looking vampire was his immensely tousled hair. It appeared he had been anxiously running his hands through it and bunches of thick, brown locks now stuck out in every direction atop his head. His brown eyes settled on her for a moment before he regarded her with a smile, scooting over to the far side of the large armchair to allow her space to sit down.

"It's going, how are you liking Idris? It's a lot weirder than I imagined if I'm honest. It's almost like being plucked from reality and placed in one of those fairytale bed-time stories Jocelyn used to tell us." He cast his eyes out over the surrounding houses and down the long street, his expression softening at the fondness of the memory. It struck Clary that in all the time she spent mourning her mother, she never really stopped to think about how her death might have affected Simon. The two had been thick as thieves the majority of their lives and in all of that time Jocelyn had treated Simon as an extension of their family, Simon's mother and sister had acted similarly.

"She'd be proud of you, you know. You've taken everything so well and you've always stuck by me just like you promised. I know you need to get home though, I can tell you feel out of place here." Clary offered Simon a small smile, her green eyes locking with his brown ones in an understanding exchange.

"Yeah, Alec will be coming in to get me any minute anyway. Jace and Sebastian got into a little bit of a fight, so Isabelle and Aline suggested a training session before lunch." His face fell, his eyes searching for something to lock onto in an effort to avoid her gaze.

"What's wrong, Simon?" Clary frowned, throwing an arm lazily around the vampires stiff shoulders. She felt him tense for a split second before leaning back into the friendly embrace.

"I just have a bad feeling, y'know? Like that day in sixth grade where I had this horrible feeling all day and then Sam beat me up?" Clary almost laughed at the recollection of Simon running away from their friendly neighbourhood bully, who was in actual fact a blonde seventh grader who towered over them. "I see you hiding that laugh Clary! Not funny." He pouted dramatically, crossing his arms over his chest in a huff.

"I'm sorry, it's just you do remember how she burst out crying when your nose started bleeding right?" He paused for a moment then let out a small chuckle at the thought.

"Still, it's the same terrifying feeling Clary. Something is gonna go wrong, I can feel it." He took to examining the mud splattered white shoelace's on his sneakers, a concerning expression plastered over his features. It wasn't unlike Simon to feel anxious under certain circumstances and Clary could see why he might be concerned, he was after all in the Nephilim holy city, of sorts and it was incredibly clear his kind had no place here in the eyes of Alicante's citizens.

"Well, Inquisitor Aldertree said you'll be ported back home right? I'm sure it will be fine-" Clary paused, hearing the front door open and multiple sets of footsteps trailing through the house. "Anyway, he seems okay I'm sure you'll be back before you know it."

"If you're talking about Aldertree he definitely does _not_ seem okay, at the same time though I doubt they want you hanging around," Jace commented as he stepped through the doorway. He was wearing a black t-shirt and boot-cut black jeans, the hems of which were ragged from dragging along the ground where they were too long. He stopped to wipe some sweat from his forehead, his golden eyes surveying Simon and a thoughtful expression poised on his features.

"I'm sure you're right." Simon stood up from the chair they sat on leaving Clary's leg feeling cold. She let her arm drop to her side and watched as the two boys exchanged an awkward yet brotherly hug. It was nice to see the tension gone from between them, it had been evident for a time that Jace found Simon a threat and vice-versa but now the air was clear between them a new friendship appeared to be blossoming between them.

"Come on Simon, we should start heading up to the Gard. Inquisitor Aldertree will expect us to be promptly on time and I wouldn't like to keep him waiting." Alec noted from the doorway. Now that Magnus wasn't around to pick out his clothes he looked a lot more ragged than he usually would. He wore a much-loved grey sweater, with holes from moths dotted around the sleeves and body. On his bottom half, he wore a pair of faded blue jeans and black boots one might see a workman wearing. He leaned against the dark wood of the doorway, his shoulder pressed against the frame in an effort to appear casual. It was apparent however when Clary looked into his clear blue eyes that his emotions were unsettled.

Shaking her head to break herself from her reverie, Clary stepped towards Simon and enveloped him in a warm hug, squeezing as tightly as she could. He returned the embrace with far more care than he would have in his human days, the effort he was making to withhold his strength apparent in the minor shaking in his arms. It made Clary sad to think that he could never again hug her with all of his force but just knowing that he was still alive was enough for her.

"I'll see you when we get back Simon. I promise I'll call right away."

"You better, night or day!" He grinned, his eyes lingering on hers for a moment before he pulled her in for one last hug.

When they finished saying their goodbyes Simon made his way to the door to accompany Alec, receiving a clap on the shoulder from Jace in passing as a soundless goodbye. Clary watched them walk up the street idly from the window, aware of Jace's loitering behind her.

"You don't trust Aldertree at all do you?" Clary asked finally when Simon and Alec finally disappeared out of sight. She turned away from the window to face him again, one hand placed on her hip as she waited for his response.

"No, not really. He already knows about Simon being a daylighter. Then there's the fact that every Inquisitor the Clave has ever had has been corrupt, to date anyway." His eyes levelled with hers and she could see the concern and years of loyalty to the Clave conflicting in his golden orbs.

"Look, we'll know if Simon gets back safe because Magnus will know and send a fire message. It Simon doesn't come back I'm sure Magnus will be concerned and also send a fire message, we'll know either way okay?" Isabelle stated, bounding into the room and over to Clary with an overwhelming aura of energy surrounding her. Clary couldn't help but smile at her brunette girlfriend. She wore a tight fitting pair of black leather trousers paired with a deep red low cut top that accentuated her cleavage. Clary felt the blood rise to her cheeks as her eyes lingered on the aforementioned area, only snapping back to the rest of the room when a certain dark-haired boy coughed awkwardly, announcing his presence.

"I take it you openly gape at Isabelle's chest in public often?" Sebastian asked, regaining his composure. His green eyes shone as he surveyed Clary, a hint of amusement swirling within leafy iris's.

"Christ Sebastian, leave Clary alone you'll make her face explode!" Jace ribbed, seemingly finding the blush spreading down Clary's neck highly amusing.

"Come on guys, at least Clary actually _has_ a girlfriend." Aline pointed out, rolling her eyes at the two chortling boys.

"What's up with you two anyway, one minute you're playing joker with each other the next you're at each other's throats. I swear you never used to act like this." Isabelle said dryly, her face scrunching up as her brain worked in over-time to recall the memories. The two boys shrugged, eyeing each other with a momentary look of distaste before waving away the question. For two boys who hadn't seen each other in years, Clary couldn't help but think they acted quite similarly at times.

"Anyway, I have this platter of sandwiches. Mom and Dad are up at the Accords Hall so Maryse made them for us." Aline explained, moving over to the semi-circle of couches that surrounded the fireplace on the far wall. She placed the large oval platter down on a low-rising oak coffee table, the surface of which bore the telltale marks of years of use, it was supported by thick squared legs at each corner with a border two inches thick with ornate flowers carved into it that ran around the edge.

Clary allowed herself to be guided over to one of the two-seat beige couches that formed the semi-circle by Isabelle. They sat side by side, allowing Aline and the boys to take what food they wanted before Isabelle pulled the platter across the table towards them. The sandwiches were made with a home-made white bread and cut into triangles. They had several different fillings including meats and fruit spreads, some of which Clary could not identify. She didn't discriminate, however, and opted to take one of each kind, ending up with two and a half full sandwiches. They ate in relative silence, only exchanging comments about fighting techniques and how the training session they had outside had went. Clary found that she enjoyed all of the different flavours the sandwiches provided and by the end of her meal she felt sufficiently sated on the hunger front.

"So Clary, what's it like growing up _mundane_?" Aline asked, her dark eyes full of questions. She sat with her left leg crossed over the other, her elbow resting against her knee so that her chin could rest delicately on the heel of her palm. She was sitting next to Jace on the largest of the couches, though there was barely any space between them. Across from Clary, Sebastian sat on the last remaining couch, preferring to sit alone. His eyes watched over the closeness between Aline and Jace, a dark distaste swirling in his striking green eyes.

"It was pretty uninteresting for the most part, I had a best friend, high school classes and art classes outside of school. My mom worked painting for several enthusiastic buyers within New York so we always had everything we needed." Clary replied, though with every passing day she spent as a shadowhunter she felt as though she lost parts of her mundane self. She remembered plenty of memories that wasn't the problem, the more she discovered about herself and her abilities the more she felt detached from her previous self. Like they were entirely separate entities.

"That sounds wonderful, I always wanted a quiet life." Sebastian mused, a far-off look taking over his green irises.

"Boring, I think you mean. Clary is kickass at kicking demon ass anyway the world was just missing out." Jace joked, shooting a wide grin at the red-haired girl in question. Clary smiled in response, her fingers creeping along the suede fabric of the couch to play with Isabelle's.

From behind them, a loud bang resounded as Alec came traipsing back into the room, his expression largely confused. He plopped promptly onto the couch on Jace's free side, grumbling to himself as he dug into the remaining sandwiches. A silence fell over the room as they waited for Alec to finish his light meal. He didn't give anything away, rather ate his fill and sated his hunger before filling them in on what happened.

"Inquisitor Aldertree met me outside the Gard. It was strange he was acting to happy-go-lucky and extra bouncy. I followed him inside a ways but Malachi was waiting, they wouldn't let me go in any further than the main hall so I don't know if Simon made it to the portal safely or not." Alec sighed, throwing his shoulders and back against the soft cushion of the couch in irritation. His ocean blue eyes flashed as he mulled the events over in his head, his brow furrowed as he became lost in thought.

"I told you so." Jace remarked simply, his golden eyes passing over the form of his parabatai, concern showing in their honey depths.

"We need to wait for Magnus to contact us before we suspect anything." Isabelle reminded them, the worry seeping into her cheerful features.

"Exactly, just because they wouldn't let you see him off doesn't mean he didn't get home," Sebastian added, regarding them with a guarded look.

"It doesn't mean he did either though." Clary murmured, she wondered briefly if she should have listened to Simon and devised a plan with Jace to protect him but she knew they would have only been implicated in some crime if they had. The best option they had going forward was to wait for Magnus to message. "We should talk to Luke," Clary added as an afterthought.

"I already did, I met him on the way down from the Gard. He said he'll check back in with us later." Alec stood and made his way to the door before turning back to look at them. "You guys could sit in here all day but I think I'm going to go get some more training in. Are you game, Jace?"

"Hell yeah let's go!" Jace replied excitedly, racing to catch up with his parabatai.

Seeing Jace leave, Aline hastily made to follow after him though she stopped to regard Isabelle with a friendly smile before leaving. "Isabelle you should come and train some more with me, I'm sure Clary won't mind. It's been so long since we've been able to spar properly!"

"Would that be okay Clary? I didn't get to see you much this morning so it's okay if it's not." Isabelle asked, her thumb gently caressing the back of Clary's thumb. In truth Clary really wanted to say no, to have the gorgeous brunette to herself just for a little while but she knew it would be selfish. It appeared that Aline and Isabelle had been good friends for a good many years and Clary felt it wasn't really her place to get in the way of their relationship.

"Oh it's fine Izzy, you could spend time with me later or tomorrow to make up for it. Besides, Sebastian _did_ offer to show me Fairchild manor so if that offer is still open I'll probably do that." Clary gave Isabelle a heartfelt kiss, lingering to rest her forehead against Isabelle's before allowing her space to leave.

"You're so good to me, Clary," Isabelle said with a fetching half smile that made Clary's heart flutter in her chest. A moment later, she disappeared through the doorway in search of Aline and her brothers.

"So, just you and me then Clary," Sebastian observed, an almost nervous smile playing at his lips. It was a very familiar smile that Clary almost couldn't place but when she really thought about it the image cleared in her mind. It was like wiping a glamour from a hazy memory and when the fog cleared she saw herself. Or more specifically, several of the pictures Simon had taken of her on the night her first pieces of art were displayed at their high school. She remembered seeing pictures of herself, her forest green eyes and tight nervous smile. The memory and her current reality matched almost perfectly and for a moment Clary felt overwhelmingly oppressed by the uneasy feeling that swept over her.

"Yeah just me and you." She forced out, swallowing around the ball of unease that nestled in her throat. There was no way Sebastian was her lost brother, surely someone would know? It was just an uncanny resemblance and Clary's mind working on overdrive because of Simon's predicament. She took a moment to calm herself and steady her breathing before looking up to meet his eyes with a small smile. "So, you wanted to show me Fairchild manor?"


	8. 8 Ruins

p dir="ltr" style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"Clary found herself walking down the sloping beautiful streets of Alicante with her new companion in amicable silence. She appreciated that the boy hadn't pressed for a conversation after leaving the Penhallow's house despite the fact that his mossy green eyes had met with hers twice and both times they had appeared to be bursting with unasked questions that Clary wasn't entirely sure she felt comfortable asking. It was a comforting thought however that they were moving ever further away from the enormous structure that overlooked the circular city./p  
p dir="ltr" style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;""So how do the demon towers work?" Clary asked, sparing a glance at the dark haired boy who strolled alongside her with far more confidence than Alec, but somehow far less than Jace at the same time. The roots of his hair shined white-blonde where it parted in places and Clary couldn't help but stare for a moment, puzzled at why a shadowhunter would dye their hair./p  
p dir="ltr" style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;""Well it is said that they were a gift from Raziel along with Alicante, they're made of pure adamas and they ensure the stability of the wards surrounding Alicante. No fully demon-blooded creature can enter the city, however, it takes the blood of a demon to deactivate them. It's the perfect set-up." He replied matter of factly as he smiled at one of the gleaming spires. Clary allowed herself to fall silent once more as they walked, her eyes drinking in the rows of houses and alleys that made up all the nooks and crannies of Alicante. It was a beautiful place to be and after becoming more accustomed to the clean air and bustling streets Clary couldn't help but picture what her life might have been like growing up the Nephilim capitol./p  
p dir="ltr" style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"Not long after they left the neatly placed houses behind Sebastian picked up his place, taking the lead as they wandered through a large patch of trees. The scent of shrubbery and wildlife was pleasantly heavy in the air surrounding them. Her shoes slid slightly over patches of moss and she placed her feet carefully as she walked to avoid the big bulging roots of trees far older than herself./p  
p dir="ltr" style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;""Are you okay with horses? Idris is rather large so it would be quite a walk, I thought it might be easier to travel by horseback." Sebastian smiled, a warm gentle breeze ruffling the dark hair atop his head as he spoke. The sound of leaves rustling in the trees surrounding them accompanied the breeze and a small smile found it's way onto Clary's face./p  
p dir="ltr" style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;""I've never ridden horseback before, I'm willing to try though?" She offered, setting off after the boy as he turned on his heel and began walking once again, smile still plastered on his face. He made his way over to a wooden structure which had hay spilling out onto the thickly packed dirt floor outside. As Clary neared she began to hear the soft sounds of a horse, hidden behind the worn roofing. The feeling of unease bristled in her stomach but she pushed it down mentally and stepped around the side of the structure to stand beside her companion./p  
p dir="ltr" style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"For whatever reason, the sheer size of the steed left Clary astounded and without her permission, she felt her legs stepping backwards away from the towering horse. Sebastian let out a barking laugh and doubled over gripping his sides as he howled. Clary arched a brow at the boy, he appeared to be almost in tears laughing and Clary had to give him a moment to sober himself up./p  
p dir="ltr" style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;""I'm sorry, it's just Wayfarer is really the gentlest horse you'll ever meet. Honest." He said, gesturing at the grey and white horse as he spoke. "Look come here, watch how I pet him then try it yourself. It might help if you build some trust with him." /p  
p dir="ltr" style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"Sebastian stepped forward towards the stall in which Wayfarer resided and beckoned the stallion over. Wayfarer blew out a breath, his dark lips flapping around his large white teeth and stepped towards the door, then promptly sat his head on Sebastian's shoulder as a way of greeting. Sebastian allowed it for a moment, waiting for the gentle giant to set the pace for their interaction. After a moment Wayfarer lifted his head and allowed the dark-haired boy to lay one slim hand on the side of his white-grey neck. He ran his hand down to the horse's shoulder and repeated, cooing over the large beast before turning back to meet with Clary's awe-filled expression./p  
p dir="ltr" style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"Gulping around the lump in her throat in an attempt to quell her rising levels of anxiety, Clary stood up straight and clenched her hands into fists for a second before relaxing and stepping towards Wayfarer. He snorted as she neared but she stayed her course and drew nearer. He bowed his head, the long grey hairs of his mane flopping atop his head and Clary smiled. She reached out with her hand flat and pressed her palm against a grey splodge situated above his nose and stroked him, marvelling as he pressed his enormous head up into the palm of Clary's hand. His short hairs were coarse but when pressed together under the light pressure of her hand smoothed out into a soft sheet which barely moved as she pet him rhythmically./p  
p dir="ltr" style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;""He's really nice," Clary noted quietly, her smile growing as Wayfarer let out a snort of approval./p  
p dir="ltr" style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;""He is, he's fast too. Would you like to ride him now?" Sebastian grinned, unpinning the simple lock that held Wayfarer's stall closed. He allowed a moment for Clary to move out of the way before letting the wooden gate swing open. It hit against a wooden fence-post with a bang which didn't seem to bother Wayfarer at all and the large horse trotted out and in a large circle seemingly stretching his legs. Now that the large horse was out in the open Clary could see the pale leather saddle that adorned his back, which had a small crest of arms emblazoned on the side of it. She squinted to make out the golden name stitched neatly below, 'emVerlac/em './p  
p dir="ltr" style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"Without waiting for Clary to respond Sebastian grabbed ahold of her wrist gently and strode over to his steed, dragging Clary along behind him./p  
p dir="ltr" style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;""Here, it'll be fine I promise." He reassured, flashing a wide smile that showed the gleaming whites of his teeth. His green eyes sparkled and he held out a hand, offering help. With a playful roll of her eyes, Clary accepted the offered hand and placed one foot firmly on the stirrup and grasped the horn of the saddle. Sebastian repositioned himself and gripped her hips in order to help her jump up and swing her leg over the spacious saddle./p  
p dir="ltr" style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"Sitting atop Wayfarer felt incredibly uncomfortable and she wriggled about trying to find a better sitting position before resigning herself to discomfort. The ground was farther away than she would like and she felt almost queazy perched on the giant horse. A moment later she felt Sebastian hoist himself up onto the saddle behind her. He settled himself quickly and gathered up the reigns, unaware of the growing discomfort within his companion. Though the saddle was spacious she doubted it was ever meant to seat two and Clary could feel far more of Sebastian than she would have ever liked to./p  
p dir="ltr" style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"Nevertheless, she gripped the horn of the saddle tightly, her knuckles turning white as Sebastian kicked his heels gently and Wayfarer set off at a trot. The movement was clunky and jostling leading Clary to believe she probably wouldn't ever enjoy horse riding. Once they cleared the trees Sebastian dug in harder and Wayfarer took off, galloping across the plains as if fast was truly his way of life. Clary found herself leaning into the massive horse in an effort to avoid the onslaught of wind that Wayfarer's speed cause to whip up around them. She could feel her long red locks whirling around in the wind, the cold air rushing through the roots leaving her scalp cold. Behind her, Sebastian seemed completely relaxed and in his element, for a moment Clary thought she could even hear him laughing jovially over the rushing sound of the wind but she couldn't be sure./p  
p dir="ltr" style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"It felt like they stayed at that pace for an eternity but Clary knew it could only have been fifteen or twenty minutes before Sebastian allowed the horse to slow. Wayfarer stopped at the slope of a large hill where a small puddle of clear water lay hidden behind tall grass. He snorted and began to lap up the water for a few minutes before setting off slowly up the slope. At the top Clary could see the ruins of a large manor house, their blackened forms a stark contrast to the bright scenery surrounding them. A pang of sadness ached in Clary's chest and her grip on the saddle loosened as they neared the top./p  
p dir="ltr" style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"The sun was low in the sky when they stopped in front of the burnt ruins of the once grand manor house. Sebastian hopped gracefully off of Wayfarer, his shoes sending small fragments of gravel skittering away as he landed. Clary was grateful that their awkward contact had ended and without waiting for the chivalrous boy's help, she swung her leg over the saddle and promptly dropped down onto the gravel beside him./p  
p dir="ltr" style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;""This is, was Fairchild Manor, until Valentine burned it to the ground," Sebastian noted offhandedly, moving over to one of the large expanses of grass to sit down. He flopped backwards, staring up at the sky with his hands behind his head, a sombre expression clouding his features. Clary frowned, her eyes passing over every would-be windows and doors, the rooms with charred remains of chairs, bookcases and other chunky wooden furniture. The remains where a dismal shadow of what they once could have been and Clary felt inescapably sad. Sad because her mother grew up here, her grandparents and possibly her brother had died here and the charred remains only reminded her of what could have been, had her father not been so deluded./p  
p dir="ltr" style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"She turned away from the wreckage, working hard to keep tears from flowing freely over her cheeks. After a moment of composing herself, she moved over to the grass and flopped down next to her companion./p  
p dir="ltr" style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;""I don't know what I thought I might get from seeing this," Clary said truthfully, sadness weighing on her mind and heart like a ton of bricks. /p  
p dir="ltr" style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"Sebastian surveyed her thoughtfully for a moment, turning on his side to see her better. "You should always know where you came from though. Even if you can't change it, or fix it because it will always be a part of who you are. It may hurt you now but maybe one day you could repair the manor and pass it down through your family." He smiled crookedly, all sorts of emotions swirling in his green eyes. Clary could see the cogs turning in his brain as his eyes slid shut and he leaned in towards her. She tried to move to the side but didn't react in time and his lips crashed into hers. Her eyes screwed up and in a moment of panicked disgust she sat up, pushing harshly on his chest to create some space between them./p  
p dir="ltr" style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"Feeling the panic spread Clary jumped to her feet and made her way over to Wayfarer, one shaking hand raking anxiously through her hair./p  
p dir="ltr" style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;""I'm sorry! Clary, please." Sebastian called, skidding to a halt in front of her. His eyes were full of concern and his hand darted out to catch her wrist, gripping it painfully tight. Clary's skin burned where it came into contact with Sebastian's and she gritted her teeth twisting back and forth in an effort to break free. "Please, you can't tell Jace that's all I ask." /p  
p dir="ltr" style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"Clary ceased her movements, her brows furrowed. "I'm more worried about Isabelle. Please let go, Sebastian, you're hurting me." /p  
p dir="ltr" style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;""Oh God, I'm sorry... It's just my emotions came over me." His hand spasmed and he let go, flinching at the wince that escaped through Clary's lips at the rough movement. He cast his eyes towards the floor and gripped his own wrist looking downtrodden. /p  
p dir="ltr" style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"Casting a wary look at the dark-haired boy that accompanied her Clary hoisted herself back up onto Wayfarer without another word. She pressed as tightly to the front of the saddle as she could, gripping the horn with her left hand while cradling her injured wrist close to her chest. The skin still burned and a black substance was smeared on her skin which she attempted to rub off on the rough fabric of her trousers. During this, Sebastian climbed up onto the horse behind her and once again took the reigns, careful to distance himself which Clary was grateful for. He wasted no time in setting Wayfarer off at a gallop, providing Clary with some solace in the privacy provided by the rushing wind./p  
p dir="ltr" style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"The journey back seemed to take infinitely longer than their previous trip and by the time Wayfarer stopped by his small stable Clary's legs felt numb. She sat by the base of one of the ancient trees that surrounded them while Sebastian briefly groomed Wayfarer and made sure he was settled in his stall. They spent the entire time walking back to the Penhallow's in an awkward silence that reigned absolute and Clary barely spared so much as a glance toward her companion, the awkwardness of the earlier kiss hanging over her like a storm cloud./p  
p dir="ltr" style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"The majority of the lights were on in the house when they approached but when they stepped through the door into the warmth of the hallway Clary couldn't hear anyone moving or speaking. It was only just getting dark outside and the smell of food cooking permeated the air. Clary's stomach growled hungrily but seeing Sebastian's lips begin to form words her mind switched to autopilot and she quickly made her way up the stairs. It took her only a moment to remember which room had been allocated to herself and Isabelle and eager to hide in the privacy of their room she swung the door open and stepped inside./p  
p dir="ltr" style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"Before her, on the bed, a slumbering form lay tangled in their bedsheets. Feeling instantly at ease seeing her adorable sleeping partner, Clary swung the door closed and climbed into bed, wrestling with Isabelle for a minute to gain some covers before settling in beside the lightly snoring dark-haired beauty. She knew she would have to confide in her brown-eyed girlfriend about what happened when they awoke but she was ultimately content to spend this short amount of time with Isabelle sleeping peacefully. Clary pressed a gentle kiss to the back of Isabelle's neck and threw an arm over the girl's stomach. Despite the cocktail of emotions whirling inside of her mind, it was only a few minutes before she slipped into a tranquil sleep./p 


End file.
